Fixture hanger



A. l. APPLETON FIXTURE HANGER March 20, 1951 Filed Aug. 3, 1949 IV@ u NVENTQWI Oqvthbu/ l. Cppletovk CW, w ma( fd// (fl-Homey Patented Mar. 20, v 195i FIXTURE HANGER Arthur I. Appleton, Northbrook, Ill., assignor to Appleton Electric Company, Chicago, Ill., a

company of Illinois Application August 3, 1949, Serial No. 108,365

The present invention relates to a support for electrical lighting fixtures and more particularly to a hanger whereby the fixture may be supported directly from a conventional outlet box through the medium of fastening screws threadedH into mounting lugs extending inwardly from the walls of the box. It frequently happens that outlet boxes are so positioned when they are installed that upon suspending a lighting iixture therefrom, it is practically impossible to position -theiixture so as to conform to a preconceived lighting plan. Such conformation is particularly important in store, office, and industrial installations employing tubular iiuorescent lighting where it is desired to have series of xtures suspended in aligned relation and in installations where it is desired to obtain a particular orientation of the iixture with respect to a machine, worktable or the like which it is to illuminate.

Accordingly, it is a general object of the presportable directly from the lugs normally provided thereon, and which includes means for cooperation with the fixture to support the same in a manner whereby the iixture can be rotated in a horizontal plane to bring it into any desired position and which is operative to maintain the fixture in such position once it has been attained.

The objects of the invention thus generally set forth together with other objects and ancillary advantages are attained lby the construction and arrangement shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a fixture hanger embodying the features of the present invention and showing the Ysame applied to a conventional outlet box.

Fig. 2 is a central transverse section through the hanger shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view partly in section taken in offset planes substantially along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2 but on a reduced scale.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view on a somewhat enlarged scale of one of the supporting lugs of the instant hanger.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional View illustrating the connection between a supporting lug linstallation of the hanger.

s claims. (ol. `zizi- 343) and the central plate of the hanger illustrated vshown as a substantially circular plate, which serves also as a cover for the outlet box l2, together with suspension means coacting with the plate 2i! in a manner permitting of ready orientation of a fixture supported by the hanger.

So that the hanger can be secured to the outlet box i2 by means of conventional mounting screws, outwardly from the center of the plate 20 in position to register with the threaded apertures in the lugs i4 and to receive the screws .i6 are a pair of diametrically disposed keyhole slots 22. The enlarged portions of these slots are of such size as to allow unobstructed passage of the head of the screw therethrough upon The narrow portions of the slots are of such size that the edges thereof overlie the heads of the screws when the Ahanger is finally installed. u To provide for the accommodation of an electrical plug receptacle (not shown), the plate 20 has a rectangular opening 24 formed centrally therein with a pair of diametrically positioned slots 26 adjacent the ends ofthe openings 24 for the reception of fasteners by means of which the receptacle is secured to the plate. Provision is also made at 28 to receive a switch for the receptacle. For purposes of added rigidity, a shallow circular .channel 2Q has been formed in the plate 20, concentrically thereof adjacent its periphery.

The suspension means as herein shown includes a pair of movable supporting lugs 36 for the accommodation of chains 32 or the like which are conventionally utilized for hanging lighting fixtures. cludes a downwardly extending bead 34 rolled about the periphery of the plate 20 and defining an upwardly directed annular trough having its free edge 33 terminating in spaced relation to the flat central portion of the plate 2D. Each of the lugs Sil includes a hook portion 30a to which one of the chains 32 is attached, and each has its upper end turned back upon itself so as to form.k

Additionally, the suspension means in.

an arcuate downwardly opening channel 30h. It will be apparent that the lugs 30 are thus adapted to have their upper ends hooked over the free edge 3d of the bead 34 and upon assembly of the instant device are free to be moved along the bead edge 36 until the desired positions are attained for proper orientation of tne supported flxture.

Means are provided to maintain the lugs 30 in their positions relative to the lplate once the desired fixture orientation is attained, and in the present instance, such means is of exceedingly simple form. As shown, it comprises the formation of a series of small teeth 40 transversely of the bight portion of the channel Sdb of each of the lugs Sii ior coacton with a similarly formed series of serrations 42 in the free edge 36 of the bead 34. It will be apparent, therelore, that by utilizing the weight of the xture supported by the hanger, the lugs 30 are pulled downwardly and thus the teeth 46 are held in engagement with the serrations 42 in the bead edge 35 to the end that accidental rotation of the fixture is prevented.

Another feature of the invention resides in the correlation of the bead 34 and the lugs 30 to the end that the lugs while being freely movable along the free edge of the bead are nevertheless held captive. Thus the channel 31317 of each of the lugs E9 is of a depth to prevent removal of the lug by moving the same upwardly and inwardly. Further, the width of each channel is such that upon moving the hook-shaped lower end 30a of each outwardly, the intermediate portions of the lugs engage the bead and thereby prevent further movement in such direction (Fig. 2). This feature of the instant device therefore prevent-s loss of the lugs during storage and shipment, for example, and prevents them from being dropped upon handling the hanger during its installation.

From the foregoing, it will be readily appreciated that a fixture hanger constructed in accordance with the present invention is effective to support a lighting fixture directly from an outlet box and permits the fixture to be readily rotated into any position desired, through a full 360 if need be, yet nevertheless is of exceedingly simple construction permitting of economical manufacture from readily available material. Additionally, it serves as a cover for the outlet box thus eliminating the necessity for an auxiliary cover plate or decorative canopy.

I claim as my invention.:

l. A hanger for suspending a fixture from a conventional outlet box comprising, in combination, a plate adapted to be flxed to the box and having an upwardly opening trough disposed about its periphery and a pair of lugs for cooperation with the xture and having U-shaped upper ends hooked over the free edge of the trough and movable therealong whereby the fix-A ture can be rotated into any desired position.

2. A hanger for suspending a fixture from a conventional outlet box comprising, in combination, a generally circular plate adapted to be'ixed to the box, a downwardly projecting bead rolled about the periphery of the plate and having its free edge serrated and terminating in spaced relation to the flat central portion of the plate, a pair of separate lugs for supporting the fixture with their upper ends of inverted channel-shape hooked over the free edge of the bead and movable therealong, said lugs having teeth formed in the bight portion of their upper ends for coacton with the serrations in the bead edge to maintain the lugs in desired position with respect to the plate.

3. A hanger for suspending a xture from a. conventional outlet box comprising, in combinai tion, a generally circular plate adapted to be xed to the box, a downwardly proiectlng bead rolled about the periphery of the plate and having its free edge serrated and terminating in spaced re'- lation to the flat central portion of the plate, a pair of lugs for supporting the xture with their upper ends of inverted channel-shape hooked over the free edge of the bead, the bead and channel-- shaped upper ends of the lugs being correlated to maintain the lugs captive while leaving the same to be freely movable along the free edge of the bead.

ARTHUR I. APPLETON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number l Name Date D. 150,820 Anderson Sept. 7, 1948 1,270,296 Jeune June 25, 1918 1,511,914 Savory Oct. 14, 1924 

